Is there an existing thread on heater reviews?

I can't search the forum so I can't find an answer to my question quickly. However, I'd like to know if there's an existing thread on pros/cons or reviews of different brands of heaters? I need to replace my heater ASAP and it seems to me like there's no clear consensus as to which is the most reliable brand. My Laars just died and it was a complete POS so that brand is out. Any help is appreciated.

There is not one that I recall, but I could have missed it...you can search the forum using the google link in my sig, although you'll probably have to log out to read the results until your registration is upgraded by Ben. It's an inconvenience I know, but it shouldn't be long.

Thanks. I'll give it a shot or just wait until my registration is changed.

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Originally Posted by paulNJ

However, I'd like to know if there's an existing thread on pros/cons or reviews of different brands of heaters?

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No, there is not, and will not be, at least through 2013. We don't have enough traffic for such a thread to have a reliable sample of responses. Also many of the people who do want to post reviews are venting because they are angry about various failures, some of which are their own fault. Until I can figure out how to have such a thread exist AND provide reasonably reliable info, there will not be any here.

I can tell you that I, and others, have had good experiences with the most recent versions of Hayward's heater. That's not saying they are better; only that they have worked well for us.

-- membership upgraded --

My pool builder uses Jandy equipment. I think PoolDoc doesn't prefer/recommend the Jandy (Zodiac) brand, but that's what my builder used, and because he uses Jandy, my equipment warranty is 3 years not the standard 1 year. Works for me!

While my SWCG's sensor failed a few months ago, I haven't had any issues with the Jandy heat pump. It just works. We use it year-round, but only 1 or 2 times a week. In the summer, I may fire it up to heat the spa. In the winter I still use it primarily to heat the spa, but we used it occasionally to heat the pool, too (though I found that using a "bubble-wrap" pool cover did a very good job of heating the pool during this past winter, so we only heated the entire pool during the holidays or when a family member was visiting us for an extended stay.

The Jandy heat pump is pretty simple, really. Two buttons to turn it on, one for the spa, one for the pool. Set the temperature you want and it turns off when it gets to that temperature (turns back on when the pool water falls below the preferred temperature).